Draft-gear.



vv. H.. COTTON.-

DRAFT GEAR.

PPUCATION FILED AUG.. 23,1915. 1,204,948. Patented Nov. 14, 1916. y 2SHEETS- SHEET l.

. sInnnn.

w. H. COTTON. f DRAFT GEAR.

N FILE I 5. Patented Nov.14,1916.

2 EEEEEEEEEEEE 2.

f i UNITED sauras Parana carica.

I `WALTER H. COTTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO UNION DRAFT GEARCOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

DRAFT-GEAR.

To all 'whom it may' concern: I .Be it known that I, VVAIL'inlpH.COTTON, a citizen of the United Sta-teh; and resident of Chicago, countyof Cook, and State of I1linois,lhave invented certainnew and usefulImprovements in Draft-Gear, of which the 'following is a specification,and which are illustrated in the `'accompanying' draweiiiciencyl of thefriction plates in absorbing the pressure.

l ginafter described, and is illustrated in the car, the couplerand itsextensionY and the vaccompanying drawings, in whichp Figure 1 .is acentral vertical section through the gear, showing it as -applied to adraft sills being shown in elevation; Fig. 2 is a plan'view, gear asapplied to'a car and showing the gear underdraft compression; Fig. 3 isa central plan section of the gear as applied tothe car, the gear beingshown in release position; Fig. 4 is a rear end View ofthe gear; lFig. 5is 'a detail section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a side view ofone of the outer wedging elements; and Fig. 7 is a side view' of thecentral wedging element. V

' The draft sills of a car areshown at 10, 10, the draft and buiiinglugs being represented, respectively, at 11, 12. At 13 there is shownthe butt of a coupler, and at 14 a yoke or couplerextension. lTheseparts may all be of any desired construction.

The gear comprises a shell or casing 15, one end, 16, of which issubstantially closed and may constitute a follower' for engagingthe-draftflug11 and a seat for the springs 17,' 18, which are nested andhave identical functions. Asl/Seated against the inner end Specificationof Letters Patent.

Application filed ugust 23, 1915. Serial N0. 46,951.

One embodiment of the invention is herepartly in section, l,of thePatented Nov. 14, 1916'.

of the springs is a follower i3, which may be an imperforate plate. Afollower lplate 20, seated'against the inner end of the yoke 14,coperates with the buliing lugs 12, and is engageable with the inner endof the casing 15 when the gear' reaches the limit of its compressivemovement. f y

Interposed between the followers 19 and 20 are a plurality ofcooperating Wedging faces, the legs being united 4fby a web f27.-

Each' of the Wedging elements 22, 23,' comprises a cross-head 28, and apair iof legs 29, 30, upon which are formed the wedging faces coperatingwith such faces jon the element 21. The cross-'head 24 of thewedging-element 21 is provided with laterally projecting flanges 31, 32,forming spring seats, and the cross-head Vof each of the elements 22,23, is provided with an outstanding lange 33, these several flangesconstituting" seats for the releasing springs 34, 35.

Lo`cated on each side of the .several wedg-u n .ing elements there is a.series of friction plates, segmental in form inv cross-section,

the entire series constituting an arch, the periphery of which bearsagainst the inner surface of the Wall of the casing. Each Agroup offriction plates is composed of two One sets, the members of whichalternate.

set of these plates, 36, is considerably shorter than `the vother set37. The shorter plates 3G are held against longitudinal movement withref rence to the casing by means of outstanding lugs 38, enteringsuitable apertures in the wall of the casing. If desired lsome or all ofthese apertures maybe spanned by bridges 39, as shown in Fig. 5,'for thepurpose of increasing the strength of the casing. The other set ofplates, 37, is free to move or float longitudinally;

While the expansion of the wedging eleject-beyond the'end of the I notreach `thefollo\,ver- 20, Under draft stresses' the `followerti is movedforward,

fthe expansive :pressure is arrested "by Vthe .-shellin-tension.

When `the gear '1s 1n release position, as

shown in 1 and 3, the plates 3'( procasingbut do ultimately tothepoz'tignifshown in Fig. 2. Its initial movement-,causes fthe advance oithe wedging element 2l against the resistance of the springs 34, 35,which are much weaker than the'springs 17, 18. The wedging elements22,23, are thereby forced outwardly, compressing the two .frlction plate1 arches and increasing the friction between the elements thereof; Asthe several friction plates normallylit closely together the element,alternate plates: being expansive movement of the wedging ele`ments-istintslight, ,and when its limit is reached the three wedgingelements move together, compressing the springs .17, 18.

When the follower20 comes into engagement with tlelloating plates 37,the latter are lcarried vforwardly Awith it, sliding fric-l tionallyupon the plates 36, the frictiondeveloped being vsufiicient to absorb ingreat measure the draft stresses,` and being gradually augmented by theincreased resistance `of the springs as the latter .arevcompre'ssed Whenthe pull uponthe coupler ceases the parts of the gear, are returned totheir original positions -by the `springs 17,'1'8.. The, springs 34,y35, act promptly to relieve the wedgln action, buta violent recoil isAprevented y the action of the springs 17, 18,

in causin -the outer wedging elements 22,

23, to fo low, up the central element 21,

thereby insuring a gradual diminution of frictional resistance. Theaction of the gear under the nfiuence of buiiing stresses is simi ply:the reverseof that whichptakes place 1n draft, the casing and itscontents being moved inwardlytoward the follower 20.

Iclaim as my invention- 1.' -In a draft'gear, in combination, a casing,a spring within the casing seated against a suitable shoulder thereon, afollower engaging thel opposite end of the spring, a lfollower beyondthe end of the casing, ajsct'of wedging elementsv bearing, respectively,`-on the two followers, two groupsofI segmental-friction plates, eachgroup being arranged in arch form, the archfspringing'at each end from awedging anchored lower thereto, nally between the two wedging'elements.

ing longitudinally movable with referenceI thereto.4 l

2. In a draft gear, in combination, a casing, a spring within vthecasing seated against a`suitable shoulder thereon, a folengaging theopposite lend of the spring, a follower beyond the end of the casing, aset of wedging elements bearing, respectively, on 'the two followers,two groups of segmental friction plates,` each group being arranged inarch form, the

. arch springing at each end' from a wedging element, alternate platesbeing 'anchored against longitudinal 'movement with reference to thecasing and alternate plates being longitudinally movable with referenceand a spring reactingl longitudi- 3. In a draftgear, in'combination, acasing, a spring within the casing `seated against a suitable shoulderthereon, -a follower engaging the opposite end of the spring, a followerbeyond the end of the casing, a central U-shaped wedging element havingwedging faces onits legs andifla'nges projecting klaterally from itscross member,

a pair oftU-shaped wedging elements jcooperating therewith and eachhaving a flange projecting laterally 'from-'its'crossmembers, suchcoperating wedging ele'- ments being respectively seated against the twonamed followers, two groups 4of segmental friction plates, each groupbeing arranged in arch form, the arch springing at each end from awedging element, alternate platesbeing anchored against longitudinalmovement with reference to the casing and y alternate plates beinglongitudinally,mov ablewith reference thereto, and springs reacting uponthe lateral flanges of the co operating wedging elements.

4. Ina draft gear, in combination, two groups of segmental frictionplates, each `group arranged in arch form and Aalternate plates being'relatively longitudinally movable,vand wedging ineens acting on the endsof the arches', the' spreadjng'action of the wedge elements beingf dueto their "relative 'movement in the line of draft.

5. Ina draft gear, in combination, two sets of intercalated relativelymovable friction plates arranged in arch form, 'and meansactingcompressively on the ends of the arches, such. action being'duev to lthemovement of said means parallel to the line of draft. A

6. In a draft gear, in combination, intervalating friction plates,cooperating wedge elements for pressing the plates together, a springreacting between the wedge elements to relieve the wedging action 'and aspring acting on one of vthe wedging elements in*` opposition to thefirst-named Spring for related relatively movable friction elements,tarding the release. each group being arranged in arch form and 7. In adraft gear, in combination a caslocated Within one of the named curvedporing, a cross section thereof forming an obtions of the casingandwedging means act- 10 5 long glu'e with symmetrically curved ends ing'on the ends of the arches.

and parallel sides, two groups of interca- 1WALTER H. COTTON.

